Strollerderby : sarah palin

Morning News - Pirates Make a Mistake

Brett Singer — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

They might be terror on the high seas, but that doesn't make them smart. A group of pirates mistook a French military ship for a commercial vessel and attacked. (The CNN story actually uses the word "oops.") The French Navy captured 11 of the scalywags. Despite the fact that these stories are in no way amusing, I'm finding it difficult not to make bad pirate jokes. Avast, me hearties! That sort of thing. I know it's wrong but I'm still getting used to the idea of modern-day pirates. I'll get there eventually.

Amazon may release a new Kindle with a larger screen. This could be good news for newspapers who seem to be losing more money every single day. As Jeanne points out, they could also be used for textbooks. Would you read on a screen if it were big enough? I think the barrier is price. The current Kindle is priced at $359, which is much less than it used to be, but still kind of expensive for mainstream use.

The S&P 500 "jumped", moving into positive territory for the year. Not to be an eternal pessimist, but it's only May. Don't get me wrong. I'll take whatever positive news I can get about the stock market. But I think I'll keep the champagne on ice for a few more months, you know what I mean?

Speaking of money, President Obama wants to collect more tax revenue from money that is being kept in offshore accounts. I've never understood how this is legal. Don't you have to pay taxes where you earn the money, not where you keep it? And if a company does business in another country, but they're based in the United States, shouldn't they pay U.S. taxes? As you can see, I don't know the answer to these questions. Maybe the flat tax is a good idea. Wait, forget I said that.

Oh, the virus formerly known as swine flu? We're not scared anymore. But it could come back with a vengeance. But don't panic. Just keep washing your hands. A lot. Got that?

Take that, Apple! The Blackberry Curve is outselling the iPhone. Maybe. But the people with iPhones are sooo much cooler. Just ask them. (No offense meant if you have an iPhone and like or even love it. It's just that Apple fanatics can be fairly annoying, as this NSFW page deftly illustrates - click to read it, but I warned you.)

Remember Mitt Romney? Ran for President? Supported gay marriage until he didn't? He, sadly, does not seem to have gone away. He also gave a little dig to Sarah Palin, at least according to the Boston Globe. When asked about Sarah Palin being on Time Magazine's list of "The World’s Most Influential People", Romney said, "I think there are a lot more influential Republicans than that would suggest. But was that the issue on the most beautiful people or the most influential people? I'm not sure. If it's the most beautiful, I understand. We're not real cute." Which I suppose was meant to imply that Palin is getting by on her looks. Or something. The Globe points out that Romney, despite saying that he doesn't think of himself as "cute", "was on People magazine's list of 50 beautiful Americans in 2002." This is why I don't like him. He seems not to care at all if what he's saying is true. As a commenter at Boston.com puts it: "Multiple choice Mitt, pull his string and he'll tell you just what you want to hear."

And finally, something that I know we've all been very concerned about lately. Janet Jackson's breast. The Supreme Court told an appeals court to reconsider their ruling on "Nipplegate", meaning that CBS may have to pay a $550,000 fine after all. Well, thank goodness. I thought those criminals were going to get off scot-free. We cannot expose our children to such filth! Especially not during the Super Bowl. They need more time to show ads for beer and Viagra.

Image: Amazon

Did Sarah Palin Know That Bristol Was Sleeping With Levi?

Brett Singer — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 22:07:00 GMT

In an interview with Tyra Banks that will air on Monday, Levi Johnston says that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin "probably knew" that he was having sex with her daughter Bristol. Levi also tells Tyra that Mama Palin allowed the young lovers to sleep in the same bed at her home.

Well. As the Church Lady might say, isn't that special.

It's all well and good to scream and holler about how "the media" should "leave these kids alone," as Angie Harmon recently did on Fox News. But someone needs to tell these kids to stop doing so many interviews. I mean, Tyra? Really Levi? Why? If the reason is "because they asked," someone needs to point out to the young hockey player that "no thanks" is an acceptable reply.

Over at ParentDish, Susan Wagner writes that Bristol and Levi "clearly they haven't been getting very good guidance from the adults in their lives. It's our job as parents to help our teens mature into responsible people, and sometimes that means saying no -- to sex and to interviews." Funny how the advice from "the media" can be better than whatever these two seem to be getting from their own parents.

Source: US Magazine via AOL ParentDish

Image: FameCrawler

Madonna Adoption Denied, Appeal Filed

Family Awarded Millions For Circumcision Mistake

Woman Will Go Free If Son Comes Back To Life

Finish Line - April Fools And More

Judge to Mom: Spank Your Kid or Pay Up

Babble Talk: Do We Still Judge Women for Having C-Sections?

Morning News - The Obama Bracket

Brett Singer — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Monday Monday… Can't trust that day…

Actually, you kind of can trust Monday. It's fairly reliable in that it always comes after Sunday. I don't think that's what Mama Cass and Co. were talking about, but then again, it was the 60's, so who knows?

Anyone make an NCAA bracket? I did. I know nothing about college basketball, and my picks are proving it, especially in the Midwest Conference. At least there's no money at stake for me. President Obama made one, which is being resoundingly mocked by many. Some were upset that he even took the time to make his picks, which is hilarious if you consider the amount of vacation time that former President Bush took while in office. (I know, it's a cliché, but it happens to be true.) Taking a few minutes to fill out a bracket is a pleasant distraction from the day's events for everyone, Leaders of the Free World included. If people want to complain about Obama's policies, fine, but his bracket? Let it go.

Damn those blasphemy laws -- a Pennsylvania man tried to register a limited liability company called I Choose Hell Productions, LLC but was told he had to pick another name because PA has an anti-blasphemy law on the books preventing such things. The laws were common the 19th century, but this one was enacted in 1977 when someone tried to register God Damn Gun Shop. The ACLU is suing the state. Heh heh. God Damn Gun Shop... (NYT)

A revival of "West Side Story" opened on Broadway with some of the songs translated into Spanish. Interesting idea but I can't imagine that makes the songs better. Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter saw the show and agrees, as did many other critics. (Note: I haven't seen this production. I'll probably stick with the movie.)

The post office is in trouble. They lost almost 400 million dollars last quarter and are offering early retirement to 150,000 employees, in addition to staff cutbacks and location closures. Not enough people mailing letters I guess.

Susan MacDougal (remember her?) can't have the transcript of her own testimony in the Whitewater trial. She was hoping to use it for a novel or screenplay. Whitewater looks pretty damn tame compared to all the nonsense going on these days.

Some governors, including Nevada's Jim Gibbons, are turning down federal money to beef up their unemployment funds because they don't like the 'strings' that are attached. The thing is, those strings disappear when the federal cash runs out. (This according to a New York Times editorial.) Nevada will run out of unemployment money by the end of the year if they don't take the government cheese. (Nose, you don't mind if I cut you off to spite my face, do you? Cool, thanks.) You can't play games like this when people are out of work. And unemployment money gets taken out of your check every week for a reason. You get it back if you're unemployed. Hence the name. So it's not unreasonable for people to expect to receive that money if they lose their jobs. In other Republican Governor news, Alaska's Sarah Palin (perhaps you've heard of her?) is only accepting Federal money for projects that are truly "shovel ready." Alaska Democrats are not happy, saying that she is playing politics with state residents. There's definitely a shovel needed for what's coming out of the mouths of both Republicans and Democrats these days, but it's not the kind you use to fix roads.

Eliot Spitzer is talking smack about Andrew Cuomo. Hey! Here's an idea, Spitzy. Shut up. You have no credibility anymore. Sorry. You screwed up. Apologize and go away. Although maybe you can blog for Huffington Post like Gary "Monkey Business" Hart. ("G'head! Follow me! You won't find anything! Wait, you thought I meant that? I was only kidding! Aw, crap…")

Responding to Sheri's comment: I hadn't heard about what the President said on TV, so I looked it up. Seems that while being interviewed by Jay Leno on the Tonight Show, President Obama said of his bowling skills, "It's like the Special Olympics or something." He apologized to the President of the Special Olympics before the show aired. Comments at ABC News' web site range from "who cares?" to "see? I told you he was an idiot." (I'm paraphrasing.) I can't say I agree with those who say that this is somehow on the same scale as other "gaffes" spoken by Republican politicians, or even "gaffes" from Democrats. Personally, I think the President is a little bit too much of a regular guy, at least in the way that he sometimes speaks in public. It was a dumb joke but hardly the worst thing ever. He also invited Special Olympians to the White House to do some bowling. There's one Special Olympic bowler who has three perfect games to his credit, so maybe he can give the Prez some pointers. By the way, Sarah Palin weighed in on the President's comments, because she's not all about politics like some politicians. This issue really effects Alaska, hence her very public reaction. Also: the President of the Special Olympics is Tim Shriver, Maria's brother, and therefore Ah-nuld's brother-in-law. That has nothing to do with anything except that I think it would be fun to have Arnold Schwarzenegger as your brother-in-law. The Governator, by the way, supports Obama's stimulus plan.

Tuesday, Tuesday… I trust that day… Nah, doesn't have the same ring to it. I guess John Phillips knew what he was talking about. See you tomorrow.

Image: WhiteHouse.gov via Washington Post

Morning News - Natasha Richardson Dies (UPDATE - Autopsy Information)

Morning News - March Madness or March Sadness?

Morning News - Cheney, Duct Tape, Outer Space

Open Letter To The Woman Who Pushed Me While I Was Picking Up My Kid

Back to the Third Grade for This 71-Year-Old

They Say: Old School Lice Checks Are All Wrong

UPDATE: Did M.I.A Really Name Her Baby Ickitt?

Why Teens Are Quick to Blame Rihanna

Keep This Kid Away From The Dog

GMA Tweets Details On Levi Johnston And Son

Brett Singer — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:00:00 GMT

I was watching this video interview with Levi Johnston, aka the no-longer-future Mr. Bristol Palin. The breakup was mutual, Levi says. He needs to be more "mature" before marriage. (That sounds like it wasn't so mutual, but who knows.)

Then I saw this:
Check Neal Karlinsky's Twitter page. He'll be tweeting some behind-the-scenes details about the interview.

Um, OK. Sure. Why not. I'm curious about Twitter, which is the big thing online these days. All the kids and TV reporters are doing it. (Me too, by the way.) What does Neal have to say...uh, tweet?

"Levi says he takes son Tripp home alone on reg basis w/out Bristol's supervision--borrows her car seat to do so."

"Levi's son Tripp was born in Dec, but only pix he keeps in his pickup truck are ultrasounds--two of them!"

This is news? This was worth traveling to Alaska for? There's nothing else happening in the world?

Now, before someone else says "but you're writing about it!" let me say that yes, I am. And that contributes to the cacophony of caca we sometimes call "the media." I just wonder if maybe it's time to leave Levi and Bristol alone. Seriously, is it really important to talk about this anymore? During the campaign, fine. But now? Is there such a thing as going too far with news coverage, especially when it involves young people?

I guess that's where my frustration comes from. I understand that there is a market for celebrity news, or whatever you want to call this. And the "ambush them with a camera" thing that TMZ has perfected is the way to go. I get it. I don't care for it myself, but lots of people do. But when you have kids, and I still think of Bristol and Levi as "kids", I don't think it's fair to "tweet" what he has in his truck. Who's business is that?

(And before someone says "what about Chris Brown and Rihanna?" I think that's different as well. They're famous for making music, and they benefit from their image, which is heavily marketed, largely to young people, which is a different issue. Bristol is Sarah Palin's daughter, but Levi isn't even related. Leaving both of them alone is probably the way to go.)

What do you think? Is it time to leave "the kids" alone?

(One more thing. Can we please come up with a better name for this than "tweeting"? It sounds really stupid.)

Source: ABC

Oprah Gets It Right On Chris Brown

Boomer Grandmothers: Out of Control?

Save Your Baby Girl From Humiliating Baldness!

Morning News - Cheney, Duct Tape, Outer Space

Jimmy Kimmel And The Octomom

Why Teens Are Quick to Blame Rihanna

Bristol Gives Levi the Boot

Madeline Holler — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:22:00 GMT

The most watched teen romance of 2008 had few convinced that it would last forever. Still, when Levi Johnston showed up at the Republican National Convention but hours after news broke that he and the VP nominee's daughter were expecting, there was a feeling, at least, that Mama Palin would control their message then and until the end of time.

But someone else has taken over the message now, namely Levi Johnston's sister, Mercede. She tells Star Magazine that 18-year-old Bristol broke off the young couple's engagement a while ago. And also that she's now allowing Levi to see their infant son, Tripp.

This contradicts what Bristol told FOX's Gretta Van Susteren, specifically that Levi was a hands-on father and that the two planned to marry after finishing their educations.

Mercede said the two split up more than a month ago and that Bristol has dropped out of school. Also, the sister reports Bristol won't let Levi see the baby, that she says some pretty harsh things about Levi and the Johnston family, and that she treats Levi badly.

So. Bristol's her own woman, but we can't help but wonder what Sarah's going to do or say about all this. But she's got her own problems with the state of Alaska to deal with.

I hope it's not true that Levi's not being allowed to see their son. That's just mean -- to Johnston and to the baby. Still, don't you feel just a little big sisterly toward Bristol? Notice, only 50 percent of the Palins mentioned in the post made it to this list.

50 Moms We Love to Hate

Ringtone Increases Breast Size

Why Sarah Palin Hid Her Pregnancy

Kids Color to Save Alaska's Wolves

A Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton or Nancy Pelosi Preschool - Which Would You Pick?

Morning News: The Real Story Behind Palin's Nomination

Bristol Palin Tells Fox Mom's Got it All Wrong

Photo: Radar

Kids Color to Save Alaska's Wolves

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:30:00 GMT

The nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife Fund has started a unique way to get kids involved in activism. In protest of Governor Palin’s support of aerial wolf killing—which has caused the deaths of 109 wolves just this hunting season—the Fund is collecting drawings of wolves from kids all over the country, and will mail them to Governor Palin’s office. Perhaps her overwhelming maternal instincts will override her passion for senseless wolf slaughter?

Aerial hunting is carried out by private citizens who shoot wolves from their jets, often after chasing them to the point of exhaustion. Then they make money off the pelts and get to brag about their hunting skills, since shooting a large animal from a jet after that animal is too exhausted to move is totally manly and impressive.

If you and your kids would like to help protect Alaska’s wolves from such a fate, visit Eye On Palin, where you can print out a permission slip and a wolf picture for your kids to color in—unless they’re inspired to draw their own. Then mail your artistic activism to the address given and hope that Palin is serious about how much she loves children.

Photo: Defenders of Wildlife Fund

Elizabeth Hasselbeck Thinks Everything (Including Aerial Wolf Killing) is About Abortions (PLUS VIDEO)

Cole Gamble — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:30:00 GMT

If you’re ever invited to a dinner party with Elizabeth Hasselbeck, I’d avoid the topic of aerial wolf hunting or any topic really, because Mrs. Hasselbeck seems to think everything comes back to abortions. And I hate making polite abortion talk at dinner parties.

Recently Ashley Judd appeared in a PSA denouncing the practice of aerial wolf hunting, brought into the public spotlight by vice presidential nominee and nature-raping advocate Sarah Palin. Most would agree that aerial hunting is a completely unsportsman-like practice in the already brutal hobby of hunting. Elizabeth Hasselbeck thinks Ashley needs to get off her high horse; after all, 260,000 abortions are performed each year! (Her number, not mine)

Can you follow the leap in logic? Neither can I. Apparently in Elizabeth's world you cannot speak about any death or atrocity without dragging a woman’s right to choose through the mud.

Whoopi: Today on the view we have Simon Mendlebaum, a holocaust survivor who will share with us his incredible story…

Elizabeth: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Holocaust, Schmolocaust! Why are we talking about that old news when 260,000 ABORTIONS TAKE PLACE EVERY YEAR!

Whoopi: Okay, Elizabeth. You’re right. Maybe we should talk about the hundreds of thousands of innocents killed in our current war in Iraq. That is a terrible and preventable waste of life. Surely on par, if not vastly outweighing these troubling abortions.

Elizabeth: Well, uh. Those deaths are patriotic.

Oh and don’t disagree with her or you’re a socialist! Elizabeth Hasselbeck: Black Hole of Logic and Common Sense.

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A Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton or Nancy Pelosi Preschool - Which Would You Pick?

SunnyChanel — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:30:00 GMT

Who would you most trust with your offspring, Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton or Nancy Pelosi? No, this is not the start of barroom joke. This are the contestants in the “Who’d Run the Best Daycare” poll currently running of US World and Review. So who’s winning? According to today’s results, over 60% said they choose Sarah Palin, followed by 35% for Michelle Obama and just a mere 2% for Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi.

Yeah, I’m not sure why they opted to fantasize about four of the most popular and powerful female political figures dabbling in the career in the daycare industry. How about a poll on ‘who’d you most like to run the country’, ‘who’s biography you’d like to read’ or ‘who’d you’d most like to have drinks with.’ But if they did, I wouldn't be writing about it right now would i? You can see how the standing are doing here.

Via Source

Morning News: The Real Story Behind Palin's Nomination

Madeline Holler — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Remember how shocked everybody was back in August after the Democratic National Convention when John McCain picked Sarah Palin? His decision was characterized as impulsive, that she had been plucked out of nowhere. In fact, an August statement from McCain's campaign stated as much.

Wrong!

An unauthorized biography of Palin -- the same one that tells us why she hid her pregnancy -- reports that she learned she was on the VP shortlist way back in February 2008 at a governor's meeting in Washington. And Palin had, in fact, been working to work her way into the national spotlight. Palin disputes the book's accounts.

In more Republican disputes: Aides report that Dick Cheney lost his mind over President Bush's refusal to pardon Scooter Libby. Fun!

Not hiding a pregancy are San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom. She's pregnant with their first child, no word yet on the due date. Experts say the baby may even be the perfect addition to Newsom's political career and his likely run for governor of California (sweet family and all).

Good news for babies everywhere: they'll now be screened for at least 21 life-threatening medical conditions with a simple blood test at birth. The March of Dimes has campaigned hard for more consistent screening nationwide. Until now, some states only screened for four of the treatable conditions while others screened as many as 29.

Lots of schools are loosening their rules on lice. They now only send kids home if there are signs of lice. But kids with nits -- the lice eggs -- are allowed to stay. Doctors, administrators and parents worried that kids were missing too much school during lice outbreaks. They argue nits don't spread like the actual bugs do. Still! Are you itching just reading this?

Can't figure out whether Obama's housing rescue plan can help you? Start here.

Also getting help? Traders and hedgefund managers and investment bankers who lost their jobs on Wall Street. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to spend $45 million to help retrain them. Like, TV/VCR repair? What retrain?

Descendants of Geronimo are suing Skull and Bones and Yale University, claiming members of the university's secret society stole the warrior's remains and keep them locked away in a crypt. We're soooo hoping this isn't true.

Photo: zimbio.com

Sarah Palin: Family Has to Pull Together for Pregnant Teens

JeanneSager — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:34:00 GMT

In what was supposed to be Bristol Palin's big moment with mom's buddy Greta on Fox News, but I doubt anyone was suprised when Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin stuck her head - and her two cents - into the conversation.

But while her daughter's common sense approach to abstinence-only education (it doesn't work - duuuuh) has been getting all the attention, the former vice presidential candidate was surprisingly on the ball. When things go wrong, she says, families have to come together.

In fact there are five generations coming together in the Palin clan - Bristol, her mom, her grandmother and even her great-grandmother make four, plus baby Tripp. Admittedly (and this isn't a knock on the Palins), it's a lot easier to pull together that kind of crew for a teen mom - they're the few moms young enough to still maybe have a great-grandmother around. But as VanSusteren points out, there's "joy" in the Palin family when they look at the product of a teen pregnancy. Most families don't have that. If anything, a teen pregnancy has the affect of driving families apart as the various generations point fingers and play the blame game.

It can be argued that's how teens fall into the teen pregnancy trap, but not always. Look at the Palins. For all that's wrong with them (do I really need to go there?), they are neither destitute (stereotype number one), lacking in family values (stereotype number two) or, well, a minority (stereotype number three). Any kid can end up a parent at seventeen, whether their parents support them or not.

Once it happens, the only way to wrest a victory for all three kids involved is to throw the weight of the family behind them. Whether that means supporting a teen's abortion, their choice to give up the child for adoption or their choice to keep it. What's happened has happened, and a family turning their back on the kids in their time of need is the absolute worst thing that can happen - for everyone involved.

Teen pregnancy sucks. There is no way around it. But when a kid is in trouble, it's up to their parents to step in and pull them up by those boot straps. It's called parenting, people.

As Palin points out, "It's not the most ideal situation, but certainly you make the most of it."

Kind of like a liberal agreeing with something Sarah Palin says, huh?

Why Sarah Palin Hid Her Pregnancy

Sarah Palin Speaks To Esquire About Kids And Things

Bristol Palin Tells Fox Mom's Got it All Wrong

KeriF — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:58:00 GMT

Bristol Palin went on Fox News last night to confess that she doesn't think abstinence education works.

Actually, what she said was, "Everyone should be abstinent, whatever, but it's not realistic."

When pressed for detail by mom's buddy Greta Van Susteren, Bristol told her, "Because it's more and more accepted now." "It" presumably referring to hot and heavy teen sex.

Unlike her mom, who seemed to be unable to refocus interviews when they took unwelcome turns, Bristol had no problem holding her own with Van Susteren, repeatedly telling her, "I don't want to get into detail about it," when, well, she clearly didn't want to get into detail about it. Sure, there were plenty of "likes" and "y'knows" sprinkled throughout, but hey, she's a teenager.

When asked point blank why she didn't use protection, Bristol replied, "I don't want to get into detail about it." She did say that she was not philosophically opposed to birth control. Perhaps Mom never had the birds and the bees talk with Bristol, or maybe Mom left out the part about everything you can do to prevent pregnancy? Sarah Palin famously stood her ground that abstinence-only education works, even with glaring evidence to the contrary.

So if abstinence isn't realistic, what will keep other teens like Bristol from getting pregnant?

"To see stories like this and see other teen moms," she replied.

Her advice? "Just wait 10 years… It'll be so much easier." Looks like little Bristol is all grown up.

Why Sarah Palin Hid Her Pregnancy

Madeline Holler — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:29:00 GMT

An unauthorized biography of Alaska Gov. and once-U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin finally explains why Sarah Palin kept her pregnancy with son Trig a secret for so long -- even from her other four children.

According to Trailblazer: An Intimate Biography of Sarah Palin, by PEOPLE Assistant Editor Lorenzo Benet, when Palin learned the baby would be born with Down Syndrome, she simply wanted to spare her other kids from unwanted attention.

From People.com:

"Not discussing the pregnancy with her daughters, she felt, would shorten the process and spare them from unwanted attention," according to the book, which was not authorized by Palin.

Trailblazer also reveals another reason Palin kept the pregnancy quiet. She tells Benet, who interviewed Palin and her family for a 2008 PEOPLE cover story: "Not knowing in my own heart if I was going to be ready to embrace a child with special needs – I couldn't talk about it."

We learn, too, that one of her daughter's busted her for being pregnant after discovering pictures of a sonogram.

There's also this about Bristol and Levi:

While Bristol was pregnant last year, she was living in Anchorage with her aunt and uncle, Heather and Kurt Bruce, and working at two espresso shops – while also attending West High School. Levi was 40 miles away in Wasilla, but, "there was certainly no ban on them dating," reports Trailblazer. "Levi used to drive to Anchorage to take Bristol out."

Heather Bruce is quoted as saying in the book, "He used to bring her flowers and take her to dinner and a movie. He would come in and say hello, but he says few words. He's a quiet boy."

Huh. Who knew?

The book comes out tomorrow.

Image: People.com

Education for All? Not in New Hampshire

JeanneSager — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:32:00 GMT

Would you send your kids to kindergarten if it was going to cost you money? It's the only choice provided to parents in Hudson, NH, the last city in the contiguous U.S. not to offer free kindergarten to its children.

The city of twenty-five thousand has been ordered to comply with a 2007 New Hampshire law calling for universal kindergarten by this fall, but district officials are bucking the order. They need more money to make it happen, they say.

I'm honestly surprised there are place left in the U.S. where school wouldn't be offered free of charge to families. It's not just Hudson. There are nine other school districts in the Live Free or Die State that will have to add universal kindergarten this fall (the other districts have already started making provisions to do so). There's also one school district in Alaska that does not provide kindergarten to its kids (gee, think Gov. Sarah Palin might want to take a look at that one now that she has some extra time on her hands?).

. What ever happened to the right to an education (yes, I know, it's not in the Constitution - but it should be)? I was equally surprised several years ago when I first learned that kindergarten wasn't mandatory. Having been enrolled at five, having had my brother follow me at five, having heard about my parents' kindergarten classrooms, I mistakenly thought this was a given. Not so. My husband is one of millions of Americans who didn't attend kindergarten (he's the one who first told me about it).

But keeping your child home for the year, or opting for a private institution rather than public is one thing. Not being offered the service at all? It sounds like another case of someone putting the priorities on money instead of on kids.

Study results have varied on the benefit of full-day kindergarten for kids, the most recent report surmising that the good it does disappears by the time the kids are in eighth grade. But if ninety-nine point nine percent of American kids are given free kindergarten, it stands to reason that the Hudson kids are being discriminated against by not being afforded the same opportunities.

For the same services provided for other kids, Hudson parents are expected to pay as much as $4,000 to $8,000 at a private institution. More than ninety percent of the parents pay up, but not everyone can afford the fees. The economic downturn is only making it harder. Ironically that's just why the city of Hudson says they can't make the change.

Despite offers of state aid, Hudson wants more. Considering the taxpayers are already being burdened (via the demand of private tuition costs), wouldn't it be more appropriate to levy a tax on the citizens that would go across the board and make education available to every kid?

A little reminder to the city of Hudson - parents aren't the only one who benefit from their children getting an education. So how about stepping up for the sake of all citizens - even those under four feet tall?

Image: Mary Mail

Sarah Palin Speaks To Esquire About Kids And Things

Brett Singer — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 04:15:00 GMT

Sarah Palin is back. In truth, the Hockey Mom/Lipsticked Pitbull/former Vice-Presidential candidate never left. So before anyone hits me with a "Why don't you leave that nice woman alone!", remember that all of these quotes are from Palin herself, via an interview in Esquire Magazine. It's not like people put a camera in her house. We'll stick with the quotes that are about her kids. Here we go:

On Trig:
I'll tell you, yesterday the Anchorage Daily News, they called again to ask — double-, triple-, quadruple-check — who is Trig's real mom. And I said, Come on, are you kidding me? We're gonna answer this? Do you not believe me or my doctor? And they said, No, it's been quite cryptic the way that my son's birth has been discussed. And I thought, Okay, more indication of continued problems in the world of journalism.

Now, I don't want to feed the beast here. And there are certainly problems in the world of journalism. But in that paragraph, she doesn't say that she's Trig's mom. I understand what she means. But she doesn't actually say that she is Trig's biological mother. Just sayin'. (UPDATE: per the comments below, this was meant as a joke, not serious journalism.)

On Bristol's pending nuptials:
This is what I've been telling Bristol, before she gets married, is, Bristol, there are definitely gonna be tough parts in marriage. You have to look at those tough times and remember that you have essentially a business contract with this person. You've signed an agreement: You're going to be together. And you look at it that way as you work through the tough times, because I guarantee the better time is there on the other side. That's how we've looked at it.

To quote another song by Heart (who sang her theme tune, Barracuda), what about love? I kind of hope that there was more to this one because if that's how she feels about marriage, that's kind of a bummer. Not that I'm all flowers and puppy dog tails when it comes to marriage. But it's more than just a "contract." Isn't it?

On Bristol's name:
Two meanings in Bristol's name: I worked at the Bristol Inn, and Todd grew up in Bristol Bay. But also, Bristol, Connecticut, is the home of ESPN. And when I was in high school, my desire was to be a sportscaster. ESPN was just kicking off, just getting off the ground, and I thought that's what I was going to do in life, is be one of the first woman sportscasters. Until I learned that you'd have to move to Bristol, Connecticut. It was far away. So instead, I had a daughter and named her Bristol.

OK. Hang on. First, she says "two meanings" and then provides three. Second – ESPN? Does that mean that she considered naming the girl Boomer, after Chris Berman? This might seem like another opinion from a "pathetic blogger" (another quote of hers), but that's a strange choice. I mean, I like the Cartoon Network but I'm not naming my son Mojo Jojo. (I did suggest that the name Luke, so I could say, "Luke! I am your father!" But then my wife hit me really hard and I gave up.)

Lastly, a general comment on parenting and kids:
A courageous person is anyone who loses a child and can still get out of bed in the morning.

No disagreement there. I do wonder what prompted her to say that, but that's one thing she and I can agree on. (She was really worried about finding common ground with me, y'know.)

One thing that can't be said enough – when Palin says that she wants us to leave her kids alone, she has to realize that she puts them in the spotlight every time she does press like this. She doesn't have to do the interview. And if she does the interview, she doesn't have to mention her family all the time. I said it before and I'll say it again – if you don't want people to write about your kids, you should stop talking about them in the media.

There's a lot more, including the statement "Everything I've ever needed to know I learned through sports," a bit of "y'all" and "ya", and that she doesn't think of herself as "hot." Oh, and to make a good chili, you need mooseburger. The full interview is online at Esquire.com. G'wan. Read it. You know you want to. Y'all. Ya.

Source/Image: Esquire

Bart Simpson-Scientologist

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Ann Coulter Says Single Moms Are Bad For Society

Octuplet Mom Wants TV Career

Little White Whales Going, Going...Gone?

Parents Ripped Off On Inauguration Trip?

Little White Whales Going, Going...Gone?

Shannon LC Cate — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Move over Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, no more babies in the deep blue sea for you! Alaska governor, Sarah Palin says that the whale population, having dwindled from a small 650 to its current 375 since 1994 are doing just fine, thank you. She is suing the federal government for listing the Belugas as endangered.

Why? Because the protection required by the listing would threaten oil drilling, gas development and other "lucrative" projects, according to Mother Jones.

This isn't the first time Palin has challenged an endangered species listing. Last August, she asserted the polar ice caps aren't melting and the polar bears will be just fine. To prove this, she turned to some classic anti-global warming science and was compared to someone "debating the theory of gravity as they plunge off a cliff" by Kieran Suckling, the executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity.

What I don't understand is how a mother and grandmother of babies could be willing to support policies that would most likely lead to the extinction of at least two treasured mammals, not to mention countless less glamorous, but perhaps even more ecologically important species. None of us know how the destruction of half the biodiversity on the planet will effect what remains--including human beings, assuming they do.

It's time for people in positions to do something to protect our grandchildren's planet to do so. For all her talk of the value of family, Palin seems awfully eager to sell her babies' futures to her own pockets' present.

Girls More Confident Since Presidential Election

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:35:00 GMT

50 percent of girls ages 12 to 17 have more confidence since the presidential election, according to a study by the Girl Scout Research Foundation. The study of 3,284 adolescent girls also found that half of young women now believe they will be able to achieve their goals, and 55 percent feel more comfortable speaking their minds.

The Girl Scout Research Foundation speculates (unsurprisingly) that the inclusion of two female candidates—Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin—drastically affected young girls for the better.

I would guess that the election of the nation’s first black president has also increased girls’ confidence in their chances for success. Seeing an African-American family in the White House is a wonderfully concrete demonstration that glass ceilings can be shattered to smithereens.

Photo: Jezebel

VIDEO-Obama Kids Say DC Schools Are Wimpy

Brett Singer — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:30:00 GMT

That's not exactly what they said… well, actually it kind of is. And as a New York parent (formerly a New York kid) I think I even agree. (In a joking way, of course. More on that later.)

The President, during a light-hearted moment at a meeting with business leaders the other day (this was before he spoke out against Wall Street bonuses; I doubt the mood would have been so cordial if it was after that), made a comment about Sasha and Malia's school being closed:

"As my children pointed out, in Chicago school is never canceled. In fact my seven-year-old pointed out that you'd go outside for recess. You wouldn't even stay indoors. So, it's--I don't know, we're going to have to try to apply some flinty Chicago toughness."

In one of my first posts for Babble almost a year ago, I wondered if my children would ever have a snow day. The answer, sadly (sad for them, good for me), is that they may never experience the joy of "NO SCHOOL TODAY!" But while part of the reason could be global warming related, some of it is just that New York schools rarely close for weather.

Note: obviously, I don't really think that DC schools are wimpy, and I don't think the President does either. The President's comments were not warmly received by many in the DC area, but I really think he was making a joke. (Kind of like me saying "warmly" received. Get it? G'night, ladies and germs.) And of course it snows a lot more in other parts of New York State.

Also: I hate to keep repeating myself, but I'm still impressed at how at ease Obama seems to be, and how much like a "regular dad" he is. Granted, if his kids have to stay home from school, he's not the one who has to hang out and play board games with them. But he's not exactly removed from the situation either. He appears to be a parent who is involved with his kids. I like that.

Aside: what's the over-under on how many comments are left before someone posts something about Obama's birth certificate? One? Two?

Source: Politico

Paging NY State Education: It Snows There

Babble Podcast for January 26, 2009 (now with a working player)

VIDEO: O'Reilly Upset About Two Year Old Bashing Bush

Morning News - Obama, Limbaugh, Cheese

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Sasha and Malia Beanie Baby Dolls

Babble Podcast for January 26, 2009 (now with a working player)

Brett Singer — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 03:41:00 GMT

Here is the ninth Babble Podcast.

You can either listen right here

or download the MP3 file by clicking here.

On today's episode:

1.    Quick news update:
- Obama goes after Limbaugh, kind of.
- Rod Blagojevich (who I've decided to start calling B-Rod) is just a bundle of fun
- The Dark Knight did not get nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Some guy in his mother's basement is weeping.
2.    The Week in Blog
- Linda Ellerbee, mini cameras (not Mini-Me), and Jason Wu.
3.    Comment of the Week
- Sarcasm? Or something else?

Notes on this podcast:

Songs parodied:

- Los del Río, Macarena

Posts mentioned:

Linda Ellerbee Says Kids Should Skip School To Watch Inauguration

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Parents Who Waited Decade to Report Son Missing Now Murder Suspects

A Camera for the Mini Photog

Star Baby: Who is This Caped Crusader?

What Should Malia & Sasha Wear to the Inauguration?

Sasha Gives Barack Obama a 'Thumbs Up'

Video: Obamas' Inaugural Ball First Dance & Michelle Wears Jason Wu

Explicitly Nude: Madonna's Photo Up For Grabs

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Morning News - Obama, Limbaugh, Cheese

Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

VIDEO: O'Reilly Upset About Two Year Old Bashing Bush

Is The Peanut Allergy Scare Overblown?

Past Podcasts

Morning News: No Saturday Mail and Other Bummers

Madeline Holler — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:30:00 GMT

We always kind of liked Saturday mail delivery even if it was mainly Wal-Mart ads and guilt-inducing pleas from Amnesty International. Once in awhile, it also means a little red package from Netflix.

So we're pretty bummed about the postmaster general asking Congress to lift the requirement for Saturday deliveries. Cuts are the only way, he explained, for the U.S. Post Office to get out of debt. Why doesn't he just ask for money like everyone else?

Maybe the postmaster was scared Republicans would say "no," which they did to Obama and House Dems yesterday. Not a single one supported the $819 billion stimulus bill. All but 11 Democrats voted yes.

While we're on the GOP and money, Sarah Palin says just because she put together a political action committee does not mean she's running for president in 2012. Ahhhh, but it doesn't mean she's not either.

The mayor of Gulfport, Miss., has been a naughty naughty boy. He and his wife have been accused of defrauding the government and an insurance company out of more than $200,000 in claims related to Katrina.

Today, the Army will report the highest number of suicides this year than has ever been recorded since it began keeping track of things 28 years ago.

The U.S. Attorney in L.A. has begun an investigation into whether Cardinal Mahoney and other church leaders should be charged with "honest services fraud" in how they handled child molestation going on in the Catholic church.

Slate answers what we were all thinking after news that a set of octuplets had been born in Southern California: just how many babies actually fit in the womb. (Answer: around 20 pounds of baby.)

Remember that guy at the back of Parade magazine who would write up celebrity interviews into that skinny column on the last page? That was James Brady and he died of a stroke Monday. We haven't looked at Parade in years, but he was such a part of our childhood reading!

Photo: fewarren.com

Beating the Odds, Beating it Back to Work, Beating the Clock

Mom Stuns Docs With Extra Baby, Stuns Us With Ambitious Feeding Plans

They Say: Crack Babies? Not Such a Big Deal

Damned if You Do, Doomed if You Don't (Breastfeed, That is)

Parents Ripped Off On Inauguration Trip?

Brett Singer — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:00:00 GMT

It wasn't all fun and games (and hope – let's not forget hope) at the Inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009.

Congressional Youth Leadership Council organized trips to our nation's capitol for 15,000 students at a rate of $2500 for five-days. 1,000 of those students were from New Jersey, and some of their parents are mighty peeved that their young'uns didn't get a good view of all the Obama-mania.

According to New Jersey's Daily Record, parents are claiming that the students missed out on "many of the historic events," including the swearing-in ceremony. That was kind of a big one. I mean, if you had miss something, that wouldn't be my choice.

The company says that most of the attendees had "a positive experience." Whenever I hear that line, I always have to wonder if that means they just didn't complain.

For now, this all falls under the category of "allegedly." New Jersey's Consumer Affairs Division is investigating.

If the kids did miss the ceremony, it might not have been the company's fault. The New York Times reports that a lot of ticket holders were " abandoned by event organizers as they stood crowded, frustrated and cold in what some referred to as the Purple Tunnel of Doom," thus missing the chance to see Chief Justice Roberts show that he has difficulty reading. (Kidding. Sort of.) The name "Purple Tunnel of Doom" is a bit dramatic (ya think?) but I'd be annoyed too if I came to D.C. to see history being made and ended up standing in a tunnel. (I don't think I'd start a Facebook group, though.)

Maybe four years from now they'll just hit the Lego Inauguration. Cheaper, and probably smaller crowds.

Source: Daily Record

Image: foreignpolicy.com

Linda Ellerbee Says Kids Should Skip School To Watch Inauguration

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

Crafty: President Obama, Cube Style

Morning News - Obama, Limbaugh, Cheese

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Bronx Students Question Obama Through Poetry

Brett Singer — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:16:00 GMT

It's one thing when Rush Limbaugh attacks the idea that Obama is going to bring "change" to our country. Of course Limbaugh doesn't want change – as far as he's concerned, everything is fine. But it's a little different when high school students from the Bronx wonder whether or not our new President is really going to be all that different from those who held the office before he did.

These kids are a little bit older than those we usually talk about on Babble, but this video kept my attention from beginning to end. The poetry the students recite is pretty raw; to put it mildly, this isn't exactly Robert Frost territory:

Calling Mr. Obama, Calling Mr. Obama
Please Mr. President
Come In
…
Do you understand where I'm coming from Mr. President?

When one student says this in an interview:

"Just because your skin is dark doesn't mean your morality, your ethics are different from any other person."

That got to me. It's not cynicism, it's reality. When life isn't good, and everyone is talking about "change" this and "change" that, it's not unreasonable to wonder whether or not the problems in your life are going to get some of that "change." Combine that feeling with the general angst of being a teenager, and you get some pretty strong words.

The video isn't embeddable, so click here to watch it. If nothing else, it's certainly a different perspective on Obama's election.

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Kids to Obama: Read Books, Eat More Ice Cream

It's Official: White House To House First Grandmother

NY's New Senator Is Moving On Up, With Baby In Tow

Kate Tuttle — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:30:00 GMT

When New York Governor David Patterson named upstate congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton as the state's junior senator, he introduced a political figure who will seem, in some respects, oddly familiar: a woman of limited political experience, who won a hard-fought election and is now quite popular among her constituents, who is just 42 years old and married with children, including an infant. Just like 42-year-old mother/politician Sarah Palin was when we first met her back in September, Gillibrand is considered an "up and comer" within the party, in part because of policy stances that at times put her at odds with that party's majority (in Gillibrand's case, she's a Dem the NRA loves, which introduces another parallel to gun-totin' Sarah).

So it'll be interesting to see whether any Republican commentators, who were so taken with Palin's plan to storm Washington with several kids in tow (including the supposedly still breastfeeding Tripp), will similarly cheer Gillibrand as a role model for working mothers. Whether they cheer her or jeer her, she'll still be facing the same challenges any woman does who balances an extraordinarily stressful career with parenting small children -- in her case, a five-year-old, Theodore, and a six-month-old, Henry. (At the very least we know her children will not spark the intense interest of those fascinated by wacky baby names!)

It's likely they won't have any comment at all, given the overshadowing nature of her appointment's backstory. The New York Times today published an editorial nicknaming Patterson the "oaf of office" for his bungling of the senate choice, and the papers will likely spill a lot of ink over the next few weeks trying to figure out what led the leading candidate, Caroline Kennedy, to abruptly drop out of contention Wednesday night. Whatever they report, and whatever you think of Gillibrand's blue dog Democrat politics, any working mother knows it can feel like a mixed blessing to get a major promotion when one of your kids is just tackling kindergarten and the other is perhaps just beginning to sleep through the night. She's got a lot on her plate and we wish her well.

More by this author:

Would You Toilet-Train Your Child On National TV?

Biracial Twins -- Is One "Black" and One "White"?

Death by Peanut: Epidemic or Urban Myth?

Is This Baby Obese? Aussie Mom Says No

Baby Nearly Starves to Death, Diluted Formula to Blame

Morning News – Drunken Jokers With Bionic Limbs And Flying Cars

Brett Singer — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Happy Friday, everyone!

Comments on yesterday's Morning News got pretty heated. I considered doing nothing but stories about puppies, rainbows and sunshine today, but decided that was no fun. And as it turns out, the "Crossfire"-esque commenting has morphed into an interesting back and forth between persons of differing political persuasions. Thank you to everyone from both sides of the aisle who weighed in; check out the debate here.

Diane Sawyer appeared to be drunk during the Inauguration coverage on ABC. Was she celebrating Obama's victory? Is she a McCain voter trying to forget? No one knows. While it's not completely certain that she was nipping at the sauce, this video makes a darn good case for it.

Caroline Kennedy (Schlossberg) did indeed bail on her quest to be a Senator without the hassle of actually winning an election. The New York Times is reporting that "Problems involving taxes and a household employee" were uncovered during the vetting process, so she bowed out. Whenever information like this is "suddenly" discovered, I always wonder how it is that nobody knew about it until it was too late. As in, Ms. Kennedy (Schlossberg) must have known that she had a tax issue, right? Also, it's still unclear if New York Governor David Paterson would have picked Kennedy (Schlossberg) or not. Um, it kind of doesn't matter anymore, folks. Let it go. Paterson will reportedly announce his choice today; convention wisdom says Andrew "HUD? What's a HUD?" Cuomo will get Hillary Clinton's old seat. (Hillary is now officially Secretary of State, by the way – she started work yesterday.) UPDATE: I was wrong, wrong, wrong -- the Times is reporting that Governor Paterson has selected Kirsten Gillibrand as Hillary Clinton's replacement in the Senate. Ms. Gillibrand is a congresswoman from upstate NY who is mother to two young children and has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association, according to the Times. I'm mentioning the mom thing because this is a parenting web site, and the NRA endorsement because that makes her a potentially controversial choice, since most Democrats aren't big NRA folks. (Gillibrand's official bio page is getting jammed with web traffic, but here's Google's cached version.)

Interesting tidbit about the Roberts Oath Flub (Flubgate, anyone?) – a certain Senator Barack Obama voted against the Chief Justice's confirmation in 2005.

In business news, the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the "conflicting reports" regarding Steve Jobs health. First he said he wasn't that sick, then he said he was leaving for six months, blah blah blah. Personally, I thought "hormone imbalance" sounded pretty serious when it was first announced. If only the SEC had been equally diligent about Bernie Madoff, poor Kevin Bacon wouldn't be reading the script for "Footloose 2". (I'm only joking about "Footloose 2." I hope. Kevin is looking for work though, so if you hear of anything, give him a ring.)

A very cool medical story from England: 19-year-old British college student Evan Reynolds now has a bionic hand. Reynolds lost his appendage three years ago, and can operate his new prosthetic limb by thought. ''It's so sensitive I can grip a bottle of water or a paper cup without crushing it and even swing a racket," he says. ''All I have to do is imagine picking something up or gripping it and the fingers and thumb move automatically." Like I said: very cool.

Oh, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for the 81st Academy Awards. Some were surprised that Heath Ledger got a Best Supporting Actor nod for his performance as The Joker in "The Dark Knight", but the real surprise to me was Robert Downey Jr.'s nomination for "Tropic Thunder." Not only is it a comedy, it was also a controversial one as I recall (that whole "retard" thing). Personally, I think Ledger will win. If he does, it won't be undeserved -- he gave an incredible performance. Brad Brevet says that Kate Winslet's nomination for "The Reader" is "fishy"; I admit that I couldn't read the full post, which actually quotes Academy voting rules. I was surprised that Clint Eastwood didn't get some love for "Gran Torino," but hey, you can't win 'em all.

The mother who named one of her children Adolf Hitler wants her kids back. "The parents insist they're not racists and want only to honor the heritage of the Third Reich," says the Daily News. What can one say to that?

Finally, someone has actually made a flying car! Terrafugia, the company that makes the vehicle (called the "Transition") calls it a "roadable aircraft," which doesn't exactly trip off the tongue. It goes 500 miles on a full tank of regular unleaded gasoline, and features folding wings. Bottom line: IT IS A CAR THAT FLIES. It also costs $194,000 and probably requires a good-sized garage with access to a ready supply of fuel. So it's not exactly ready for mass consumption. However, IT IS A CAR THAT FLIES. Did I mention that?

Have a great weekend!

Image: Times Online

(Late) Morning News: Finally!

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Live Inaugural Tweets From A Working Mom, And Video

A Prom? At the White House? Awesome!

Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

Malia & Sasha Obama Sporting Some Recessionista Style

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Sasha and Malia Beanie Baby Dolls

Brett Singer — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Here's a good one. Ty Inc., maker of the once-insanely popular Beanie Babies, has introduced two new Beanies – Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia.

The good part? The company claims it's just a coincidence. Company spokeswoman Tania Lundeen says the names were chosen because they are "beautiful," according to US Weekly.

Do you buy it? I don't. A commenter on USWeekly.com points out that the dolls don't look much like the First Daughters. But no one ever mistook a Beanie Penguin for a real-life fish-eating bird that can't fly.

The dolls were released this month to retailers; I'm sure the timing was also just a coincidence. Supplies are limited, so if you see 'em, BUY BUY BUY. They could be worth more than the Obama/Spider-man comic book.

UPDATE: Mama Obama is none too happy about the dolls.

Source: US Weekly

Video and Pics: Lego Inauguration

Malia & Sasha Obama Sporting Some Recessionista Style

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Michelle Obama Objects to Sasha and Malia Dolls

Obama Wants Kids To Have a Normal Life – Good Luck With That

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Babies Understand Presidential Material

Sarah Palin Says Leave My Kids Alone

Brett Singer — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Remember Sarah Palin? Republican Vice-Presidential candidate, kind of overshadowed John McCain for a while, said the word "maverick" a lot? Tina Fey did an impression of her on Saturday Night Live? Ring any bells?

She's back. Well, to be fair, she never went away. But the Associated Press has published a story talking about how Palin "is going on the offensive against news organizations as well as bloggers she says are perpetuating malicious gossip about her and her children." They say she has, "personally reached out to media outlets such as People magazine and The Associated Press to complain about information she claimed is wrong."

What information? Well, that her daughter Bristol Palin and her fiancee, Levi Johnson, have dropped out of high school. She says that isn't true since they are taking correspondence courses. That sort of thing. Palin says that she is doing this to "set the record straight" and not because of political ambitions.

American University professor Leonard Steinhorn, described as "an expert on the presidency," isn't buying it. He says that Palin is positioning herself to run for Prez in 2012, and is "attacking the media as a way to generate support among a base she hopes will support her." (He's an expert, so he must be right.)

Here's the thing. I don't think it's fair to go after her kids. But someone needs to explain to the Governor of Alaska that if you don't want "the media" to talk about your family, you probably shouldn't invite them into your home, which she did with the Today Show in November after losing the election. No one forced her to do that. And if she wanted to do the interview, she could have done it alone. But she chose to do it in her kitchen while she cooked dinner. She clearly wants to have her family be part of her image, but she also wants to pick and choose what people write about them.

The problem is, it doesn't work that way. You can't have your cake and bake it on national television too. There are plenty of ways to keep your family out of the spotlight. One of them is very simple: keep them out of the spotlight.

Source: AP via HuffPo

Image